Gun firing mechanism



" Dec: 4

1,651,699 A. s. HALSEY nun name uzcwusu Filed Sept. 10, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 N VE N TOR A5. H ALS EY A TTORNEY Dec. 6, 192 7.

1,651,699 A. s. HALSEY GUN FIRING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 10, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I FIG. 5

INVE N TOR A.5 HALSEY A TTORNE Y ,pgc. 6, 1927.

A. s. HALS EY GUN FIRING uacrunusu Filed Sept. 10 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG- 6.

A TTORNE Y Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,699

A. s. HALSEY cum FIRING macmmrsu Filed Sept. 10, '1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 52 SECTION x-x 49 SECTIO N Z-Z wravroR. A .$.HALSEY Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

essee are-air ARTHUR SHERMAN HALSEY, or WASHINGTON, DIsTRIcT or COLUMBIA.

Grin meme Afi'plicatton filed September Thisi nvention relatesto gun firing in'echa nism and more particularly a controlniecha nism; especially adapted for use on antiaircraft guns adapted to prevent the firing of the gun .when there is danger oi' the pro;

jectile hitting the superstructure oi tops or the ships upon which it is carried. Iii order that ajclearerperceptibn oft-he objects sought tobe obtaiiiedfl by the presentinyent ion may be had it is stated that m nu-- aircraft defense work especially, it is desirous of keeping thejgun trained upon the aircraft (as for examplepwhen the plane makes a zigzag approach" from tlierear of the ship oi whenthe ship has a high coinbinedr'roll and pitch angle) inorder that the gun may be fired'iiistantly when the aircraft comes within range and the line of trajectory is clear of the superstructure, tunnels, masts, etc.

Heretofore gunshave'bcen lmnted 1n their train and elevationby"certain stops which would prevent damage tothe superstructure but when the gun was" so limited'inits movement the personnel sighting were unable to keep the gun laid oiithe target.

The present invention therefore conte'm plates a simple and practical" mechanism 'whereby'the gunma'y' be moved in train and elevation so as to keepon the target at all times yet positively prevent the gun from being. fired when the projectile mightv endanger the ship on which the gun is carried.

Actiirther. object is to provide a mechanisniofthe above general character which may be inexpensively manufactured and as sem'bledand'applied to gun mounts now in gener'a'l use without material modlficat on A- further -ob ect1s to provide a durable and efficient mechanism having relatively few parts-fwhich will be unlikely to get out of order when in use e Other objectswilhbe in part obvious and in part-hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following: analysis! of this invention anddrawingsforming-apart of the disclosure wherein similar pai-ts are designated by like reference charactersthroiughout the several.

views. H l

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a front el evation al view of such partsiof the mechanism as are" necesearly to clearly understand the" same together witha-portion of the gun mount.

MECHANISM.

10, 1925. Serial No. 55,615.

Figure 2 is a' side elevational View" parts shown in Figure l; h

Figure 3 is a plan View showing-the upper and lower connections to the firing nie'clianism of the gun with the actuatinglfoot pedal in operative position? v Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line lV/V; Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the parts shown in Figure 4; and talien' substantially on the line V/V, Figure 1.

Figure (5 is a detail plan view of part: of the firing latch. 1

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the firing la tch.

of as;

of a sa linkage mechanism shown'in' Figure-7.

Figure 8 isa sectional view taken substantially on the line X/X of FigureQ.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line Y/Y, Figure 2; V c

Figure 10 is a sectional View taken sub stantially on the line Z/Z Figure 9. y

While the invention will be hereinafter described more clearly with relation to its application to anti-aircraft guns it I is of course to be u nderstood'that"it is not limited to such application.

Referring now as the drawings in detail and more particularly'to Figure 'l,'l deniites' the trunnion hearing at] the side of the gun mountshown in dotted lines in both Figures 1 and 2. I w

This trunnion is providedwith the usualfiring latch'for actuating the percussion fir ing nechanism at the breech Oftliep'um the parts beingof' generally 'well k'no wn con structionand requiring no detailed description at this time inasmuch' as they formno part ofthe present invention except in so far Y as'itheym'ay ente into certain con'lbin'ation's hereinafter set'forth, I

This firing latch is connected with ja" tele"-, scope rod? extending downwardlytowards the base of the gun and is provided'with two laterally extending arm-s 4 and 'Z'be'tween which is positioned a rod 5 Carryingh lugi 6 as shown more clearly in Figure which lug isin contact with pedals15 and'-19I ad Figure T is a detail view ofapart oi the justably mounted in a guide slot l3 u po n circular casin'gil2. One of these; pedals l9i is fixed andlthe other may be-depressed 1 one end.

' vided with a downwardly extending lug 14 I 52 is moved towards the right cam pressing the spring and-carrying with .it the rod 5,.

arms 4 and 7 thereby to turn the shaft 2 and actuate the firing gear when the cooperating members 9 and 10 mounted upon I this shaft are in the position shownin full lines in Figure 7. I A turning of this shaft actuates the percussion'fir ng mechanism .111 the usualwell-known manner.

Mounted near the baseof the gun mount I is the casing 12 as shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5 containing two shafts, one being the end of the shaft 2 previously-described which is in alignment with the shaft 45 within the casing and forms bearing points for the arms 4 and '7 thereby permitting these arms to move without turning the shaft when the contacting members 9 and 10 shown in Figure 7 are in the dotted line position.

This casing 12 also contains a stop shaft 32 having at its lower end'a pinion 331adapted to mesh with the training racksurrounding the gun mount.

As the shaft 32, Figure 4, is rotated when the gun is moved in train, a pinion 41 at its inner end and within the casing meshes with a rack 21 causing the same to turn 'pro portionally to the I turn of the gun- This revoluble rack 21 carries a cam plate 22 V which is provided with one or more recesses as indicated at the left thereof adapted to be engaged by the arm 3Ov at the end of the shaft 3. This arm whichis of general T- shaped construction is provided with roller bearings, the upper end of which coact's with the cam plate while the other coacts with the movable plate 25 yieldingly support-ed uponan adjustablestud 27 screwed into a case 26. A spring 28 normally urges the same into contact with the lower thrust bearing. The cutaway portions on this cam are so positioned with relation to the super-' structure tops or funnels of the ship as to break the firing circuit as will be hereinafter explained under certain conditions when the gun is in line with such obstructions. V J

Referring now toFigure 10 showing asectional View of Figure 9, on line Z/Z, it will .be' noted that, plate 25yis mounted upon a shaft 43 and is" adapted to turn therewith. When the shaft turns the link 16 pinned at itsfree end actuates the leverr4 2 shown in Figures-7 and '7 in a manner to pull the connecting member 10 downwardly into the dotted line position out of engagement with its cooperating member 9. When in this position, the shaft 45 is free to turn but will not transmit its movement to the shaft 2 which is connected with the firing latch.

It will also be noted that the shaft 43, Figure 10, is provided with a laterallyflextending arm54 pivoted to the central part of switch member 55 thereby to pull this switch member downwardly when the plate 25isdep'ressed thus breaking the circuit indicated by'lth'e leadein wire 18 whiclris clamped inia suitable water-tightpacking member 60, cooperating gland 59 and base. support 58 surrounding the switch' men'n ber 57.

From theabove it will be seen that there 1 aretwo safety members for positively preventingthe firing of the gun. One, a me chanical disconnection of the firing latch at the points 9-10 when the pedal is depressed should the trajectory of the pro jectile endanger any'part' of theship upon which the gun is mounted. The other is an electrical disconnection of the lead-in wire 18 which is a portion of the firing circuit. e

lVhile it is believed that. the operation of the device above described will be perfectly clear it may be stated that a depression of. the movable pedal 15 will through the lug 14 coopera'tingwith the lug 52, Figure 8,.

cause a movement of the link 7 (or 4) to rotate the shaft. 45, which when the parts9 and 10 are in engagement, will cause ,a corresponding rotation of theshaft 2 and an actuation of thefiring latch at the trunnion 1. If, however, thegun is not so trained or elevated as to permit firing without danger,

the cam plate 22, Figure 4, will have been automatically turned to bring a raised portion into engagementwith the thrust hear ing 30 causing a depression of the plate 25 shown in Figures 9 and 10 thereby to break the electrical circuit by reasonof a switch 65 and mechanically separate the contacts 9 and 10 shown in Figure 7 by reason of the linkage 4211 ',16 connected with the rod 43. r

It will be noted by reference to Figure 2 that the trunnion is provided with a small gear 23 meshing with the rack 24 ,carriedat one end of the'telescopic rod 3 which will cause the thrust member29 to slide in its guides according to the elevation. to which the gun is moved thereby bringing the thrus member into engagement with a raised pore ct a y ar vention contemplates a simple and practicalv mechanism which may be easilyand quickly applied to gun mounts now in use and which will reliably and efiiciently prevent the firing of a gun when there is danger of injury to the ship upon which the gun is fired by the projectile issuing therefrom.v

lVhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a gun mount hav ing percussion firing mechanism, a pointers foot pedal and means associated with the firing mechanism adapted to prevent firing when the pedal is depressed and the gun is in danger of injuring the ship upon which it is mounted.

2. In combination with a gun mount having percussion firing mechanism, a pointers foot pedal, means associated with the firing mechanism adapted to prevent firing when the pedal is depressed and the gun is in danger of injuring the ship upon which it is mounted, said means including an electrical circuit breaker.

3. In combination with a gun mount having percussion firing mechanism, a pointers foot pedal, means associated with the firing mechanism adapted to prevent firing when the pedal is depressed and the gun is in danger of injuring the ship upon which it is mounted, said means including mechanical connection between the pedal and the firing mechanism adapted to be thrown out under predetermined conditions.

'4. In combination with a gun mount having percussion firing mechanism, a pointers foot pedal and means associated with the firing mechanism adapted to prevent firing when the pedal is depressed and the gun is in danger of injuring the ship upon which it is mounted, said means including both electrical and mechanical breakers.

5. In combination with percussion firing.

plate, movable proportionally to the movement of the gun in train for rendering the foot pedal inoperative.

6. In combination with percussion firing mechanism, means for preventing the firing of the gun at predetermined positions of train and elevation including a pointers footpedal, means including a cam plate movable proportionately to the movement of a gun in train for rendering the foot pedal inoperative, and means movable by difference in elevation of the gun for electrically disconnecting the firing circuits.

7. In combination with a percussion firing mechanism, a manually actuated member for firing the gun, means for rendering the manually actuated member inoperative at certain positions of the gun, electrical means between the percussion firing mechanism and the manually actuated member for preventing firing of the gun at those positions oi: train and elevation at which the manually operated member is inoperative.

8. In combination with percussion firing mechanism, means whereby continuous aim of the gun is obtained for all angles of elevation and train possible for the gun to move and mechanical and electrical means adapted to prevent firing of the gun except when the gun is pointed in a safe firing zone.

9. In combination with percussion firing mechanism, means whereby continuous aim of thegun is obtained for all angles of elevation and train possible for the gun to move, means automatically actuated adapted to prevent firing of the gun except when gun is pointed in safe firing Zone, said means including a cam and cooperating member movable proportionally to movement of train and elevation adapted to mechanically and electrically interrupt the firing mechanism.

Signed at l/VashingtomDistrict of Columbia, this 22nd day of July, 1925.

ARTHUR SHERMAN HALSEY. 

